Salon: Cracks over Miller at NY Times. (And a visit to Judy from Bolton?)

[BurtWorm]

Cracks in the fortress?

New York Times execs say the paper and its staff stand firmly behind jailed Judy Miller. But off the record, some are telling reporters a different story.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/08/17/times_miller/print.html

...


As for the paper's image, Keller remains unconcerned, saying the journalistic principle involved is more important. "It's of course secondary to the question of whether we are doing something we believe in," he said about the paper's image. "We've heard from noisy critics (mostly on the left) who are angry at Judy for earlier coverage, or angry because they suspect her source is someone they don't approve of. But this is not, at bottom, about any one reporter or any one source. It's about a principle. We've heard from others (mostly on the right) who disapprove of anything The Times does. But there's also been a significant outpouring of support for her courage and our steadfastness."

Keller also spoke to the questions surrounding what Miller's assignment was at the time she learned Plame's identity, but declined to spell it out. "While the questions of what Judy knew, and what she was working on, may be matters of general curiosity, the answers don't touch the heart of the case," he claims. "The question of what is going on with the case -- meaning what the special prosecutor is up to, and why he seems to regard Judy as important to the case -- is a mystery to me. It's something I'd like to have answered -- not just for our staff, but for our readers."

The Times has been steadfast in its public support of Miller and persistent in calling for her release. Unlike Time magazine, which handed over the notes and e-mails of its reporter, Matthew Cooper, after he was subpoenaed in the same case, the Times stood behind Miller's defiance of such an order. The Times editorial page on Aug. 8 even took to linking increased harassment of the press in other countries, like Nepal and Burundi, to Miller's incarceration. An Aug. 15 editorial followed with a clear demand that Miller be freed, stating, "If she is not willing to testify after 41 days, then she is not willing to testify."

Miller remains in jail at the Alexandria Detention Center. Reports from visitors indicate she is holding up well, but has had some stomach problems related to jail food, misses the Internet and outside contact, and has had to withstand a constant stream of hip-hop videos on the communal television sets. She's had no shortage of visitors, ranging from Keller to Tom Brokaw to Lucy Dalglish of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press to one report of embattled United Nations ambassador-designate John Bolton getting face time with her behind bars. ... :wtf:

[BurtWorm]

1. Wow, this sank fast!

[stopbush]

2. Bolton's visit: just like when the Mob visited Jack Ruby

after he shot Osawld. "You still on board, Judy? There's a lot riding on your silence. Don't forget who loves ya. Hey, how's your mom doing? How's that house of hers out in Great Neck, the house she leaves at 9:30 am every morning to get to her health club by 9:56? Does she still take the Northern Parkway to make that drive? Man, lots of accidents out there, especially with the older types. She still drivin' that 99 Park Avenue, the one that had the problem with the brakes? Yeah...I seem to remember readin about that. Hey, gotta go! You stay well, ya hear? Karl sends his best..."

[Garbo 2004]

3. Arianna's blog in HuffingtonPost said she got a tip that Bolton had

visited our dear Judy. That apparently is the "one report" the article refers to.

[Nite Owl]

4. Got the pass and read it.

They sure stuck that bomb in at the very end didn't they?

Makes those reports that we were hearing about Bolton being the one who got her name seem right on. She said she was afraid of the government or something like that the day she went to jail.